


Ice Hockey is A Contact Sport

by xhorizen



Category: Schitt's Creek (TV) RPF
Genre: Clueless feelings, Dan is a cliche, M/M, Noah kept a pair of Dan's sweats, Stupid Boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23780161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xhorizen/pseuds/xhorizen
Summary: Noah invites Dan to a hockey game and Dan realizes he is a complete cliche.
Relationships: Dan Levy/Noah Reid
Comments: 39
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright y'all, this is my first foray into Schitts Creek RPF and I'm sorry if it's terrible! I got this stupid idea from something someone said in the Rose Apothecary the other day and it wouldn't leave me alone. So... Let me know if you enjoyed this because I need all the encouragement I can get to get chapter 2 done! 
> 
> Thanks to tigerlily for word vomiting to me about Noah and thank you to julywonder for being an awesome cheerleader!
> 
> PS this is un-betaed and I also didn't read it through before posting it because if I did, I would have scrapped the whole idea. Sorry for any mistakes!

Dan was not a cliche. He was Canadian, that was true, but being Canadian didn’t mean that he had to subscribe to everything _Canadian_. For instance, maple syrup, while delicious, was not the be all, end all of anything sweet. Tim Horton’s was fine if in a pinch, but Dan much preferred making his own coffee at home in a french press. Hockey was, well. Hockey was hockey. It was loud and abrasive and it fucking _hurt_ to play. Not that he would know, he’d never go out of his way to do something that would probably get him killed. But then Noah came into his life and when he did, he brought hockey with him. 

Being friends with Noah Reid was a ride of a lifetime. The man had more energy than should be allowable in a human being and he always seemed to be so happy all the damn time - honestly, it was to the point that it was concerning. It was ironic, actually, considering all of the music Noah has ever written is so sad and morose that Dan wants to cry everytime he hears him play, but that’s beside the point. He was chill all the time, which, to Dan, was so entirely alien that he wasn’t even sure he could comprehend how Noah actually got anything done. 

Noah preferred to go with the flow and was amenable to pretty much any kind of change in plans that had ever been throw his way, from Dan’s experience anyway. And it wasn’t fair how nothing ever seemed to ruffle his feathers, it was like he fully expected anything and everything to be so fucking _easy_ and Dan was so incredibly jealous that sometimes just thinking about easy going Noah Reid was enough to make him upset. 

But it was never about Noah, as a person. Because Noah as a person was perfect, and one of the best friends Dan had ever had in his life. He just wished he knew how to stop being so uptight all the time and embrace his inner Noah. So when Noah texted Dan, asking him if he wanted to come to his hockey game that night, he figured he would try to let go of the fact that he hadn’t planned on having plans that night and do something spontaneous for once. 

What could go wrong at a hockey game, anyway?

\--

Well, for one thing, it was entirely too loud in the stadium and Dan could hardly hear himself think, let alone try to understand what was going on down on the ice. Noah had reserved him a seat in the third row, near his teams dugout, or whatever the hockey equivalent was called, so he always knew which player was Noah, but then he also had to deal with the crazy fans on either side of him who were _way_ too into the game. Dan had already had beer spilled on him twice and had narrowly avoided having a chili cheese dog dumped into his lap, and it hadn’t even been the end of the second period. 

Dan was looking at his watch and trying to figure out how he could duck out of the game early without offending Noah when he caught sight of him, exiting the ice, and flipping his helmet off. Dan bit his lip, holding back a smile that threatened to take over his entire face, but then Noah looked back at him and the smile broke out. Noah returned one similar in size and Dan couldn’t help but lift his hand and give him a little wave, followed by a thumbs up. 

A thumbs up. An actual, honest to god, thumbs up. Because when had Dan ever had any kind of chill, really?

Luckily, Noah returned the gesture and right before putting his helmet back on the head back out on the ice, he winked at Dan. It was quick, so quick that Dan thought maybe he’d imagined it because really, there was no reason for Noah to be winking at him, but the butterflies in his stomach told him a different story. He tried to push them down, he was being absolutely ridiculous and he knew it, but his anxiety had a mind of its own and knew how to wreak havoc on Dan’s brain. 

For the first 10 minutes of the third period, Dan tracked Noah on the ice like a hawk. Every single move he made, Dan saw it, even though he got more beer spilled on him in the process. Something inside of him just wasn’t letting him relax back into his seat and enjoy the game, and the longer it went on, the more on edge Dan became. Noah took a hit right right in front of Dan, slammed up against the plexiglass, and it was hard enough that Dan could see the rush of pain flash across his eyes. Dan’s heart started racing and his body started to physically ache because of how much he wanted to rush to Noah’s side and make sure he was okay.

By the time the final buzzer rang, Dan had his hands gripped together so tightly in front of him that he had to actually concentrate on the act of moving his fingers in order to get them to let go of each other. Noah’s team had won and as such, all the guys were cheering and yelling and patting each other on the back. The crowd around him was going crazy as well and normally, Dan wouldn’t be able to focus on a singular thought in the madness, but when Noah caught his eye and gave him another huge grin, Dan could only think one thing. 

_Fuck._

\--

Dan discovering that he had feelings for Noah while Noah was in the middle of celebrating his hockey team winning a game was a total cliche. He knew it the second he realized what he was feeling and actually let himself acknowledge the feelings. Acknowledging was the key word because if Dan had wanted to be honest, he would admit that he’d had feelings for Noah for longer than he could remember, but Dan didn’t like being honest with most people, let alone himself, so he would never admit that. The fact that he finally allowed himself to come to the realization while Noah was wearing his fucking hockey uniform was just so completely Canadian and so freaking infuriating that Dan could hardly look himself in the bathroom mirror at the stadium without cringing. 

Dan’s phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, hoping Stacey had pulled one of her telepathic mind tricks and texted him when he really needed her. 

_Done in the locker room, drinks?_

Noah’s words stared up at him from the screen and in spite of himself, Dan felt a smile forming. He quickly bit it back as he tapped out a reply before heading out to the parking lot. 

_**Yeah. Meet you outside.** _

\--

Noah’s hair was damp and curly from the shower he’d obviously taken in the locker room and Dan had to hold himself back from curling his fingers into it. Apparently, as soon as he’d decided to let himself feel _feelings_ about Noah, his body had adapted accordingly. Noah caught his eye and he grinned big, holding up a hand to Dan, as though he wouldn’t see him in the empty lot. 

“How’d you enjoy the game?” He asked once Dan was within hearing distance. Dan shrugged and rolled his eyes a little. 

“I’ve had more beer spilled on me tonight than I have since college, so that’s something. I guess you guys were okay though, considering you won and everything.” 

Noah rolled his eyes. “Hell yeah we won, we’re undefeated this year! We’re freaking awesome!” 

Dan rolled his eyes right back, but Noah’s excitement was contagious and he felt it growing in his stomach. Excitement for what, however, Dan didn’t know. “I believe you said something about drinks?” 

“Oh right, yeah, so the team ended up deciding to head to this tavern downtown, but I thought maybe you and I could just go back to my place? Have drinks there?” Noah’s eyes flitted down to the asphalt and that small action caused Dan’s pulse to spike. 

“Oh, yeah, that’s fine. I’ll meet you over there?” 

Noah nodded and Dan felt his heart soar. Stupid feelings. 

\--

Noah’s apartment was always so cozy and inviting in a way that Dan envied. He wanted to have a place that others felt at home in, but he really thought he never hit the mark. For the bro type that Noah was, Dan had expected his apartment to be littered with sports equipment and smell like a locker room, but he’d been pleasantly surprised the first time he’d ever visited. The instruments that were scattered everywhere, and the lighting were among the things Dan noticed first, the second being the more feminine touch Dan hadn’t thought Noah was capable of. Come to find out the ex-fiancee had had a hand in decorating before they broke up and everything had clicked into place in Dan’s brain. 

“Did you wanna change into a pair of sweats or something?” Noah asked as Dan followed him in the front door. He let his duffle bag his the floor as he toed his shoes off, Dan following suit. 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

Noah glanced at him over his shoulder and smiled. “You said you had a ton of beer poured on you, I was offering clean sweatpants so you didn’t have to keep wearing clothes that smell like a frat house.” 

“Are you saying that I smell like a frat house?” Dan bit back, following Noah into the living room. 

“If the shoe fits.” Noah shrugged, though the lazy grin on his face gave away his true meaning. 

“You sure that you have any that are long enough?” Dan groaned at himself internally, why couldn’t he just take the offer and let it be?

“Guess we’re gonna find out, huh?” Noah grabbed his hand lightly and led him into his bedroom. Dan had been in Noah’s bedroom before, of course, though only to use the master bathroom during game nights. Something about being in the bedroom with Noah, though, was very intimate and Dan felt himself growing hot at the thought. He glanced around the room, trying to find something to look at to take his mind off of the man bent down in front of him, but was interrupted. 

“Uh, well, I guess it’s time that you have these back.” Noah stood up and held out a folded up pair of black joggers. Dan took them and looked at the label, eyes widening at the designer name. 

“You snake!” Dan laughed and reached an arm out to push Noah lightly against the shoulder. “I’ve been wondering where these went!” 

Noah, who had brought his hand up to his shoulder and winced in pain at Dan’s push, bit his lip and shrugged, a shy smile coming across his face. “You left them here a while back, I’ve been meaning to bring them to you, but, well, yeah.” 

Dan wanted to push Noah for more information because it was so unlike him to just end a sentence that way, but Noah’s hand on his shoulder drew his attention. “Is that from where you got hit?” 

Noah nodded. “Yeah. It wasn’t even that hard, but I guess it just hit the glass in the exact right way.” 

“Hmm, alright, I’m gonna put these on and I’ll meet you on the couch. Bring the tiger balm.” Dan entered the bathroom and shut the door behind him, eyes growing wide at what he’d just offered. Was he really going to give Noah’s injured shoulder a massage? 

He changed quickly, not giving himself more time to freak out about the situation he’d put himself into, and exited the bathroom. When he walked back into the living room, Noah was sitting on the couch, tiger balm in hand. The swoop in Dan’s stomach had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Noah had changed into his own sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Nope, not one single bit. 

“Is it the same shoulder you’ve had issues with?” Dan asked as he approached the other man, holding his hand out for the container as he sat next to him. Noah handed it over without fuss and turned his body so that his back was to Dan. 

“Yeah. I don’t know why I couldn’t get hurt somewhere else for once, but where ya go.” 

Dan opened the container of tiger balm and took some of the ointment on one finger. He took his clean hand and started slightly on areas of Noah’s shoulder. “Does it hurt here? What about here?” 

“It’s a little bit further down, on my scapula.” 

“Oh, fancy word, Mr. Reid.” Dan couldn’t help but tease. He pressed on a spot almost in the middle of Noah’s back and he groaned, indicating he’d found it. “Hm, uh, well, you’re gonna need to hike your shirt up in order for me to get this on there.” Dan’s face went hot and he knew it was probably bright red, but what reason did he have to be embarrassed for saying such a thing? It was a perfectly logical thing to do, afterall. 

“Mr. Levy, are you trying to seduce me?” The teasing tone in Noah’s voice held an air of mischief to it as Noah lifted his shirt up and over his head, tossing it on the coffee table. 

“You caught me. I’ve been waiting for you to get hurt just so I could do this to you specifically.” Dan scanned the silky smooth skin in front of him and bit his lip to keep himself from roaming Noah’s whole back with his hands. 

“Knew it.” Noah whispered, his voice catching as Dan brought the ointment to his back and started massaging it in. 

They sat in relative silence for a few minutes, the only sounds coming from Noah when he groaned under his breath as Dan kneaded away knot after knot. The longer the massage went on, the louder the moans got and before long, Dan had a problem he hadn’t anticipated having when heading to Noah’s that night. 

He shifted uncomfortably in his spot and tried to scoot back, to give himself some distance from Noah, but Noah just leaned back and followed him as he tried to retreat. “Dan-uh.” Noah whined, throwing his head back to try to catch Dan’s eye. “Please don’t stop. It’s starting not to hurt anymore.” 

Noah was his kryptonite, Dan decided, as he let himself slip back into place against the other man and put his hands back on his back. Noah hummed appreciatively and Dan didn’t even have to see his face to know he was smirking at getting his way. 

What a brat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap y'all, thank you so much for all of the love I got on part one of this fic! I was so nervous posting it and y'all really gave me the energy I needed to write part 2! 
> 
> Let me know what you think, I love hearing all of the comments and reactions. They make me so incredibly happy!

“Can you go higher?” Noah whispered and Dan nodded, even though Noah couldn’t see him. His throat was dry and he knew if he tried to speak, his voice would come out croaky. He let his fingers slide up higher on Noah’s back, using his thumbs to find new spots filled with tension along the back of his neck. Noah leaned his head forward, groaning as Dan’s thumbs slid up his neck before fanning his fingers out to the base of his skull. 

“This okay?” With Noah’s audible reactions to what Dan was doing and Dan’s physical reactions, Dan wanted to make sure that whatever was happening was consensual because his anxiety had already decided that he was being slightly predatory. 

“‘S perfect.” Noah sounded like he was talking underwater, or with a mouth full of marbles, and Dan couldn’t help but give himself a little pat on the back for being the person to cause that. Dan started weaving his fingers through Noah’s curls, just the way he’d wanted to earlier in the evening, and applied light pressure as he did so - a good scalp massage always worked wonders for Dan. Based off of the noises Noah was making, Dan was pretty sure it was working wonders for him, too. 

Dan’s anxiety was the only thing keeping his dick even remotely under control. Every single sigh and noise of appreciation went straight down his spine and caused him to twitch, but something kept running through the back of his mind, which was enough to keep him on task. 

Noah had never indicated he had feelings for him, so the best thing for Dan to do was not read too much into the situation and possibly ruin one of the most important relationships in his life. 

It was really _fucking_ hard to remember that, however, when Noah was making more noise at Dan’s attempt at a massage than Dan’s last three boyfriends had made in bed combined. 

Dan lost track of time as he continued working his hands over Noah’s back. Each area he moved to found more knots and Dan was just being a good friend by making sure he worked them out for Noah. He worked too hard, anyway, and if anyone was owed a massage, it was Noah. Well, also Dan because hello, his life was literal madness, but that was not the point, _dammit_. When Dan glanced down at his watch and saw the time, he realized that he’d been over for almost an hour and most of that had been with his hands on Noah’s physical body. He immediately dropped his hands and pulled away from the other man, leaving plenty of space between them while he grabbed the tiger balm and made sure the lid was screwed on tight. 

“Sorry, guess I got a little carried away there.” Dan laughed a little self-deprecatingly because if he could turn it around on himself, then Noah wouldn’t feel awkward about the entire situation. It was completely sound logic. 

Noah sighed happily and turned so that his back was against the couch and he was looking at Dan. “No, dude, don’t apologize. That was one of the best things to happen to me in a really long time.”

And oh, if that statement combined with that sleepy voice didn’t just _do something_ to Dan. 

“If that's one of the best things to happen to you in a long time, I’m a little bit offended both as your boss and as your friend.” He glanced over at Noah and gave him a mock glare that lost any effect it might’ve had because a smile most definitely accompanied it. 

“Well, you pay me to do both of those things, so -” Noah laughed as he was cut off by Dan throwing a pillow at his face. 

“I hate you.” Dan laughed, reaching over and poking Noah in the stomach, taking joy when he jumped away and screeched. 

“Take that back!” Noah threw the pillow back at Dan and launched himself at him, causing Dan to fall into the couch under him. 

“Me? You just implied I pay you to be my friend!” Dan got hold of the pillow and tossed it to the ground, suddenly aware of how close he and Noah were. He froze up, knowing that if he moved one way or another, it would become very apparent exactly how he was feeling about the position they were in. 

Dan wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence that fell over them, but he didn’t know what to say. Making a joke was his go to move, humor solved literally everything, but the moment felt heavy, almost loaded, with possibility, and maybe it was just in his head, but he was pretty sure he didn’t make up Noah’s eyes moving from his eyes down to his lips and back up again, did he? 

“Dan.” Noah whispered and oh god, nope, Dan sure wasn’t imagining it because Noah had just done it again and before he could respond to his name, Noah’s lips were on his and oh. 

_Oh_.

_Wow_.

Obviously Dan and Noah had kissed before, they’d been playing characters on a show who had just gotten engaged, for fuck sake, of course they’d kissed, and made out plenty, actually. But kissing Noah was completely different from kissing Noah while he was playing Patrick. Noah as Patrick was confident and self assured, he knew who he was and where he stood with David. Noah as Noah was a lot more cautious, his lips pressing to Dan’s with almost too little pressure, as though Dan would run off once he realized what the other man had done. 

As if Dan could pull himself away from Noah fucking Reid if he tried.

Dan’s hands moved of their own accord, one reaching down to grip Noah’s waist and the other grabbing the curls at the base of his neck _again_ just because he could. That act alone seemed to give Noah all the courage he needed and suddenly, he was licking his way into Dan’s mouth and pressing down on him with the entire weight of his body and Dan is suddenly acutely aware that he really enjoys the feeling of Noah on top of him, like, he _really_ enjoys it. Dan was vaguely aware of Noah’s hands moving up his waist and skirting over his chest before one is resting at the base of his neck, his thumb repeating the same movements Dan’s had performed on him. God, his body responded as though he had never been touched by another person before and really, had he ever been touched by someone before since that someone had never been Noah?

“God, you feel so good under me.” Noah broke away from their kiss and worked his way down Dan’s jaw, sucking on the skin he found. “Been dreaming about this.” He whimpered as he rolled his hips down, causing Dan to suck in a deep breath. It took a second for him to catch up to the words that Noah had said, but once he did, he pulled as far back as he could with Noah on top of him and placed a hand on his chest. 

“Wait, I’m sorry, you what?” 

Noah flushed at the question and pulled back a little as well, though Dan really wished he hadn’t. “Uh, just, well. Nothing.” He flashed a small smile and leaned back down to kiss Dan, but Dan turned his cheek, a tiny grin threatening to make an appearance on his lips. 

“Oh no, it’s most definitely not nothing. You said something about dreaming about this?” Dan slipped one of his hands onto Noah’s cheek and held it there, forcing him to keep eye contact. “Tell me what you meant.” Dan hadn’t meant for his voice to come out as low and gravelly as it did, but he wasn’t even sorry about it based off of the way Noah bit his lip and rolled his hips on top of him. 

“Fuck, Dan, come on.” Noah tried to smile again, and Dan knew he had him in a moment of very rare vulnerability. 

“Noah.” He replied simply, dragging his thumb under Noah’s eye. Noah closed his eyes and sighed, turning his head to the side and pressing a kiss to the palm of Dan’s hand before speaking. 

“I thought it was obvious how into you I was. How into you I _am_ ” Noah’s face couldn’t have turned more red if he tried and the butterflies in Dan’s stomach exploded from the cage they’d barely been contained in earlier in the evening. 

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Dan knew he was dense, he knew it, he never tried to deny it, he’d just be lying if he couldn’t admit it was one of his downfalls as a human being, but to not notice that the man he was pining over was also pining over him? God, how absolutely useless! 

“Does any part of this look like I’m kidding you right now?” The serious tone in Noah’s voice caught him off guard and he took a second to lock eyes with him, to let himself believe what Noah was trying to tell him. 

“No. It doesn’t.” He bit the inside of his cheek and let his eyes move from Noah’s eyes down to his mouth and then back again. “I just can’t believe I never saw it.” 

Noah shrugged, the playful glint coming back to his gaze. “Guess you need to go to the eye doctor and get your vision rechecked.” 

Dan groaned a laugh and the sincere moment was over. “You ruined it. This was a beautiful moment and you ruined it!” 

Noah leaned down and pressed his lips to Dan’s, opening his mouth and claiming Dan as though he had the right to - he absolutely did have the right to, though, and Dan let his eyes slip closed, enjoying the feeling. 

“Did I still ruin it?” Noah broke the kiss _again_ and Dan couldn’t hold back his frustration. 

“You really will if you keep -” He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before Noah laughed and covered his lips again, making Dan feel more comfortable and at home than he’d felt in his life.


End file.
